- WEB DESK
- October 23, 2026
Dar to attend first R4+E3 foreign ministers’ meeting in Istanbul today
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will attend meetings of the R4 and R4+E3 foreign ministers in Istanbul on Friday, including the first-ever meeting bringing together Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt with Britain, France and Germany, the Foreign Office said.
Dar is travelling to Istanbul at the invitation of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and will first participate in the R4 meeting, comprising Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
That will be followed by a meeting between the R4 and the E3: Britain, France and Germany — marking the first gathering of the seven countries in this format.
According to the Foreign Office, the discussions will focus on major regional developments and explore coordinated diplomatic approaches to shared challenges, with an emphasis on regional peace and stability.
Dar is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts on the sidelines.
The Foreign Office said Pakistan’s participation reflected its “continued commitment to constructive diplomacy, regional cooperation and the peaceful resolution of disputes”.
The talks come at a time of mounting tensions across the Middle East, with the Strait of Hormuz and security in Saudi Arabia expected to feature prominently in the discussions.
According to a Turkish foreign ministry source, the seven ministers are expected to discuss the Palestinian issue, developments in Yemen and the Strait of Hormuz, as well as possible diplomatic avenues towards ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
Britain’s Foreign Office said the talks would focus heavily on the Strait of Hormuz and the situation in Saudi Arabia.
It said passage through the strategic waterway remained under threat despite what it described as positive progress involving the United States and regional partners, with traffic through the strait sharply lower than before the war.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband is expected to call for a diplomatic solution that restores full navigational rights and freedom of movement through the waterway.
The UK is also expected to raise concerns over attacks on Saudi Arabia and the wider pressure on regional shipping routes, including Bab el-Mandeb and the Suez Canal.
Britain said this week that it was committing Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets to help defend Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks in its airspace.
Fidan, who is hosting the talks, is expected to stress the need for regional countries to take greater responsibility for security and strengthen cooperation based on what Ankara describes as regional ownership.
The Turkish side is also expected to argue that existing disputes should not be allowed to reinforce one another or expand into broader regional instability.
The discussions are also expected to cover the Palestinian issue, with Turkiye likely to call for greater international pressure on Israel over settlement expansion and settler violence.
Security in the Black Sea will form another part of the agenda, amid growing concern that the Russia-Ukraine war is increasingly affecting commercial shipping in the region.
Armed attacks on commercial vessels, including drone strikes, have increased in recent months, while NATO has announced the deployment of additional aircraft, drones and radar systems to improve surveillance in the Black Sea.
The E3 grouping was established more than two decades ago and has traditionally coordinated diplomatic efforts over Iran’s nuclear programme.
The R4, meanwhile, was formed this year and brings together Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
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